PCP is short for phencyclidine, which is a hallucinogen drug. On the streets it is commonly known as Angel Dust, Rocket Fuel, Embalming Fluid, Ozone, and Wack. It was mostly used in the 1950s and 1960s as a surgical aesthetic for patients; however, it did not take long for doctors to find out about the side effects. Nowadays, its use has become limited to tranquillizing large animals. If PCP users are caught with the drug, it is considered a criminal offence.

The following animations represent the PCP molecule and a person who has taken PCP respectively.

external image 6-APB_Animation2.gifexternal image Guy_on_PCP.gif

In its pure form, it looks like white crystalline powder and the methods of consumption are via swallowing the pills, snorting the powder, smoking it with a combination of other drug or drugs like cannabis, and injecting its liquid form. The use of PCP makes an individual have a feeling of euphoria, feelings of power, feelings of detachment, and lets the person escape reality. Signs of PCP users include: dilated pupils, violent behaviour, unpredictable behaviour, decrease in coordination, decrease in sensory perception, and difficulty communicating. Just like every other illegal drug it has some potential short-term and long-term effects.

In the picture below, we can see PCP in all its forms.

external image PCP.jpg


Short-term effects:

  • Blurred vision
  • Drooling
  • Drowsiness
  • Dizziness
  • Sweating
  • Numbness
  • Increased heart rate
  • Increased blood pressure


Long-term effects:

  • Depression
  • Anxiety
  • Flashbacks
  • Memory loss
  • Psychosis

An overdose of PCP can lead to seizures, convulsions, coma, and death.

The following video is a documentary about PCP.





References

http://healthycanadians.gc.ca/health-sante/addiction/pcp-eng.php
http://www.drugabuse.ca/pcp
http://www.drugfree.org/drug-guide/pcp
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phencyclidine
http://i570.photobucket.com/albums/ss147/cliffrichard/Guy_on_PCP.gif
http://www.ascert.biz/uploads/images/PCP.jpg
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S3VsWR_nOYI


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